Plasterboard pattresses... How strong?

[Hamie]

Subject says it all really... How strong is a plasterboard pattress? I've only ever had experience of either metal ones in a brick wall, and so afstened quite securely to brick with a screw, or metal ones in a plasterboard wall, but fastened to a batten behind it (Also nice & strong) in NZ houses...

The UK plasterboard ones are new to me & I've never put one to test. Since I've possibly got some going in RSN, I'd like to know how string they are, and whether it's possible to rip them out of the wall (Along with a big piece of plasterboard) when pulling a plug from a socket when they become a little... Stuck (As they seem to do on occasion).

Anyone had a problem like that? How big is the tab that goes behind the plasterboard that provides the strength for pulling it outwards?

TIA

Hamish.

[Mike]

The tab is about a half inch by and inch each side. It is probably quite easy to rip the whole lot out of the wall if you put your mind to it. We do have the approaches you use in NZ as well if you are likely to need strong sockets :-)

[Stuart]

I must admit to not having thought about that as all the ones I have fitted to plasterboard have been where the board was tiled as well .I think if I was doing it without tiles I might well be a bit wary about them tearing out the wall but inreality I doubt it would happen .Why not get a box and mount it on to a piece of board and try pulling out the plug to see how it feels /acts . Stuart

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[John Rumm]

assuming you don't over tighten the screws when you fit it then they are plenty strong enough for most applications. Try and cut the holes so they are snug, and skim after they are fitted (but before the faceplates).

[.]

There are some in our house that have been there 16 years with a lot of use. There has been no problem with them.

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[Paul]

The socket that is screwed to the box is actually pulling on the tabs behind and that in turn pulls the box into the wall so when you pull on the plug it is transferring the load through the screws to the tabs so if you were to pull hard enough it would only really pull a couple of cresent shaped peices from the sides.

Paul